Increase reported in suspected DUI cases in California

By the fourth day of the California Highway Patrol's Maximum Enforcement Period, officials on Tuesday reported a slight increase in the number of suspected drunken driver arrests statewide.

Across the state, 1,273 motorists were taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence compared to the 1,270 who were arrested during the New Year's holiday weekend last year, according to the CHP.

Officials said that so far during the MEP, which began Friday at 6 p.m., there has been one fatal collision in the CHP's Bay Area jurisdiction and 208 suspected DUI arrests. In 2011, the Bay Area recorded three fatalities and the same number of arrests for those suspected of driving under the influence.

Statewide, 19 people have died in traffic collisions, down from last year's total of 25, authorities said. Sixteen of those deaths occurred on CHP-patrolled roadways, while another three took place within the jurisdiction of city police.

Two pedestrians and a bicyclist riding without a helmet were among those killed, authorities reported. Of the 13 vehicle occupants killed in CHP's jurisdiction, officials said four of them were not wearing seat belts.